Dessert in a hurry….Baked Cranberry Orange Rice Pudding

Janice Krako/ October 27, 2015/ comfort food, cranberries, dessert, make ahead, orange, quick dessert, recipe, rice pudding/ 0 comments

Baked Cranberry Orange Rice Pudding

This baked cranberry orange rice pudding recipe was one of those on the fly creations. Just headed into the kitchen to see what kind of quick dessert I could create!  It’ is always fun for me to just wing it in the kitchen!

Get your creative on

When I head to the kitchen I love to change recipes up or make them up as I go along based on what is on hand.  Kind of like a kid in the candy store!  Life should be fun as often as possible.

It’s good to play with your usual recipes with new ingredients, update the technique and adjust quantities.  Always great to have a change of pace in life whether it’s wearing something new, trying a new restaurant, or even traveling. .

Creative in the kitchen

Not everything created on the fly turns out as perfect as it sounded in your head but can be amazing too!  Some creations are better than others

Leftover Rice

My Inspiration Leftover Rice

Inspiration for this recipe was a large container of white rice from the local Chinese restaurant that was leftover.   I could have turned this into a quick fried rice but had a sweet tooth that needed satisfying!

Question of the day

What’s on hand and what can I create?

There is leftover rice….dried cranberries and that led me to think cranberry orange relish flavor profile!  If you always have the staples of milk, eggs, vanilla, natural extracts and usually fruit too, it’s creation time!

It’s quite handy to keep my Cinnamon and Sugar blend on hand. This blend is a great addition to oatmeal, hot coffee, tea, dusting on toast or a warm buttered muffin.  Yum!!

What’s stocked in your pantry?

Keeping a nicely stocked with basics pantry allows you to “create” things in a hurry and on the fly.   Kind of the home version of Chopped with ingredients you know!

This is a super easy dessert to throw together quickly any night of the week.  Perfect to make ahead too for the next day.

 

Leftover takeout rice

 

Baked Cranberry Orange Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups cooked rice
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1T butter
  • ½ tsp orange extract
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract (or real vanilla extract)
  • ½ cup sugar
    pinch of salt (if the rice was not cooked with salt)
  •  1/8 tsp nutmeg

½ – ¾ cup dried cranberries (or raisins)

Cinnamon sugar blend (see below)*

**Note:  If you want this really rich try using part half and half or cream for part of the milk.

Preparation:

Butter baking dish or casserole 2-1/2 quart will work unless you’re making a larger batch.  Add cooked rice to casserole.   I use my fingers to break the grains up so they’re loose. Do that only if the rice is cold and coming out of the refrigerator. Then once grains are loose, mix in the cranberries or other dried fruit.   If your rice is still warm cool it to room temperature first so the eggs won’t seize and scramble.  The dried fruit can be mixed into hot fresh cooked rice without a problem.
In a bowl, beat eggs, add to milk, extracts, zest and sugar; stir to blend.
Pour into buttered baking dish on top of the rice and fruit mix.
Ready for oven…notice the way all the rice is covered with the liquid.

Bake 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes until set.  Take a sharp knife go straight down into the middle, if it comes out clean, the pudding is done. 

While hot, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mix so that it melts onto top

Remove from oven, give a light sprinkle of *cinnamon sugar blend. Cool, serve with or without vanilla whipped cream.

Serve in a nice glass, desert dish or stem ware

 

Rice Pudding

 

 

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